Sox Fall to Royals 3-1

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By Colleen KaneTribune reporter

9:54 p.m. CDT, May 21, 2014

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana hasn’t always received a lot of run support from his team during his career, and Wednesday night’s game against the Royals at Kauffman Stadium followed that trend.

Quintana lasted 7 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on eight hits, but it wasn’t enough as the Royals pulled out a 3-1 victory over the Sox to avoid a series sweep.

The Sox pulled ahead 1-0 in the second inning off Royals right-hander Jeremy Guthrie when Paul Konerko hit a single to center field to drive in Alexei Ramirez. Guthrie allowed just one run on three hits, walked two and struck out two in seven innings.

The Royals tied it in the bottom of the third off Sox left-hander Jose Quintana. Pedro Ciriaco singled, advanced on a groundout and scored on Nori Aoki’s single to left field.

Aoki hit a bunt single in the eighth inning, and Alcides Escobar followed with a double. Quintana intentionally walked Eric Hosmer to load the bases before he was pulled in favor of right-handed reliever Jake Petricka, who gave up a run on Billy Butler’s sacrifice fly to right field. Petricka also walked in a run with the bases loaded and two outs to give the Royals a 3-1 lead.

The Sox won each of the first two games of the series 7-6. Sox manager Robin Ventura said he was pleased with how his team has done in the face of many injuries this season.

“You’re happy just because of the way they’re competing,” Ventura said. “I don’t want guys focused on who we’re missing and why we’re missing them. You keep going. The schedule doesn’t stop. There’s a game every night pretty much, and you’ve got to be able to play. Guys don’t get too caught up in who’s not here right now.”